Copper Material Identification

[middle.road]

Can anyone hazard a guess as to what material stock this is?
A friend of mine showed me this and we can't identify the material.
He received from his dad and he can't remember where he got it or what it is.
This piece is ~.50 DIA., mostly copper - I cannot figure out what the 'darker' smallish diameter material is.

Thanks.

 

[RJSakowski]

It looks like a decorative cap of some sort, possibly homemade. The copper cap would be drilled with the pattern and back filled with a colored epoxy composite. It would have been sanded and polished and a clear coat applied to the outer surface. Just a wild guess though.

 

[whitmore]

Can anyone hazard a guess as to what material stock this is?

Well, if that's a copper matrix with other material inside, it would be a drawn
item (like a cable). That's how superconductors are made, with niobium superconductor
fused into a billet with copper, and drawn to the final diameter. The intent, is that
the current in a superconductor magnet will, if the magnet warms up, spread out
into enough copper mass to prevent the first warm spot from explosive
melting and evaporation.

 

[francist]

Found this picture at the Luvata website. All cable types, as Whitmore suggests.

-frank

 

[darkzero]

Yup, looks like superconductor. Aside from it's original intended use, it has become popular for use with knife scales, tops, & other expensive custom gadgets. Serves no purpose for the mentioned other than being considered an "exotic" material used for cosmetic reasons. I was really curious when I started seeing makers use this stuff. Then I looked into getting some, that stuff ain't cheap!

 

[middle.road]

Thanks Gang, as always. Spot on.
"Superconducting Copper" was not one of the search terms I tried this morning, tried a bunch of terms but not that.
And it sure isn't cheap. I think he was wanting to something with knife handles...

 

[KBeitz]

superconductor .... For sale on E-bay....